4.3 Aptitude, Achievement & Intelligence Scores

This section discusses the types of aptitude, intelligence, and achievement test data available for the NLSY79.  The following three surveys, conducted independently of the regular NLSY79 interviews, collected aptitude and intelligence score information:  (1) The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), a special survey administered in 1980 to the 1979 sample of NLSY79 respondents; (2) the 1980 survey of high schools, which used school records to collect scores from various aptitude/intelligence tests and college entrance examinations administered during the youth’s high school career; and (3) the 1980–83 collection of high school transcript information, which included the gathering of math and verbal scores from such tests as the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and the American College Test (ACT).  Table 4.3.1 provides an alphabetical listing of the tests and the number of respondents for whom scores are available.

Table 4.3.1 Aptitude & Intelligence Tests: NLSY79 School Survey, Transcript Survey & Profiles Testing

ASVAB Administration: During the summer and fall of 1980, NLSY79 respondents participated in an effort of the U.S. Departments of Defense and Military Services to update the norms of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).  The Department of Defense and Congress, after questioning the appropriateness of using the World War II reference population as the primary basis for interpreting the enlistment test scores of contemporary recruits, decided in 1979 to conduct this new study.  NLSY79 respondents were selected since they comprised a pre-existing nationally representative sample of young people born during the period 1957 through 1964.  This testing, which came to be referred to as the “Profile of American Youth,” was conducted by NORC representatives according to standard ASVAB procedural guidelines; respondents were paid $50 for their participation.  Groups of five to ten persons were tested at more than 400 test sites, including hotels, community centers, and libraries throughout the United States and abroad.  A total of 11,914 civilian and military NLSY79 respondents (or 94 percent of the 1979 sample) completed this test:  5,766 or 94.4 percent of the cross-sectional sample, 4,990 or 94.2 percent of the supplemental sample, and 1,158 or 90.5 percent of the military sample.

The ASVAB consists of a battery of 10 tests that measure knowledge and skill in the following areas:  (1) general science; (2) arithmetic reasoning; (3) word knowledge; (4) paragraph comprehension; (5) numerical operations; (6) coding speed; (7) auto and shop information; (8) mathematics knowledge; (9) mechanical comprehension; and (10) electronics information.  The following variables are available for each youth tested:  raw scores, scale scores, standard errors, sampling weight, high school graduation status, and whether the test was completed under normal or altered testing conditions.

A composite score derived from select sections of the battery can be used to construct an approximate and unofficial Armed Forces Qualifications Test score (AFQT) for each youth.  The AFQT is a general measure of trainability and a primary criterion of enlistment eligibility for the Armed Forces.  Two methods of calculating AFQT scores, developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, have been used by CHRR to create two percentile scores, an AFQT80 and an AFQT89, for each Profiles respondent.  To construct AFQT80, the raw scores from the following four sections of the ASVAB are summed:  Section 2 (arithmetic reasoning), Section 3 (word knowledge), Section 4 (paragraph comprehension), and one half of the score from Section 5 (numerical operations).  Beginning in January 1989, the Department of Defense began using a new calculation procedure.  Creation of this revised percentile score, called AFQT89, involves (1) computing a verbal composite score by summing word knowledge and paragraph comprehension raw scores; (2) converting subtest raw scores for verbal, math knowledge, and arithmetic reasoning; (3) multiplying the verbal standard score by two; (4) summing the standard scores for verbal, math knowledge, and arithmetic reasoning; and (5) converting the summed standard score to a percentile.

High School Survey: During April through October 1980, a separate survey was conducted of non-foreign high schools attended by civilian NLSY79 respondents.  This school survey obtained information about the characteristics of each school.  It also gathered respondent-specific information that included scores from various intelligence and aptitude tests administered during the respondents’ schooling.  Data are available for tests such as the California Test of Mental Maturity, the Differential Aptitude Test, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, and a variety of other tests including college entrance examinations such as the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and the American College Test (ACT).  The following types of information are available for each test taken:  IQ score, national percentile score, date (month/year) the test was administered, and student’s grade level at the time of testing.  A modest number (1,058 or 9.1 percent) of civilian NLSY79 respondents has one or more such scores available from the high school survey; additional scores may be available from the transcript survey.

Transcript Surveys: High school transcript information was collected during 1980, 1981, and 1983 for those civilian respondents who were expected to complete high school in the United States.  While the focus of these surveys was course and grade information, math and verbal scores from the PSAT, the SAT, and the ACT were also collected.  One or more (sub)scores for at least one test are available for 2,434 (21.3 percent) of civilian NLSY79 respondents.  Additional information, including references to technical reports on these surveys, can be found in the "School & Transcript Surveys" section of this guide.

Knowledge of the World of Work: One assessment, an abbreviated version of the “Knowledge of the World of Work" scale, was directly administered to the young men and women of the NLSY79 in 1979.  This set of questions (R00260.–R00268.) asks respondents to pick one of three statements that best describes the duties of each of 10 commonly held jobs.  A total score can be calculated by awarding one point for each correct answer (Kohen and Breinich, 1975; Parnes and Kohen, 1975; Parnes, et al., 1970).

Survey Instruments: Test questions from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery are not available to the public.  Copies of the high school and transcript survey instruments can be found within NLSY High School Transcript Survey:  Overview and Documentation, described in the following paragraph.

Data Files & Documentation: ASVAB variables collected during the 1980 Profiles testing are located on the NLSY79 main data set within the “Profiles” area of interest (R06150.–R06183.).  The NLSY79 documentation item Attachment 106:  Profile of American Youth provides general and technical information on the Profiles testing and an annotated bibliography of related publications.  An addendum discusses the creation of AFQT80 and AFQT89.  Variables collected during the High School Survey are located on the main NLSY79 data set within the “School Survey” area of interest (R00173.11–R00173.97).  Test scores from the Transcript Surveys are located on the main NLSY79 data set within the “Misc. 1981” area of interest (R06197.–R06202.).  A documentation item, NLSY High School Transcript Survey:  Overview and Documentation, contains background information on the sample design and field work of these special surveys, a summary of the types of variables collected, and coding information.

Comparison to Other NLS Cohorts: Extensive information on the cognitive development of children born to female respondents of the NKSL79 is available. The NLSY97 collected three specific achievement tests reported by the respondent—the SAT I, American College Test (ACT), and Advanced Placement (AP) test.  Achievement test scores were collected during special transcript or school surveys for the Young Women, and the Young Men.  Available scores for respondents in the Young Men’s and Young Women’s cohorts are primarily from the California Test of Maturity and the Otis/Beta/Gamma; a few respondents have SAT I or ACT scores recorded, and a wide variety of other tests are also included.

References

Bock, R. Darrell and Mislevy, Robert J.  “The Profile of American Youth:  Data Quality Analysis of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.”  Chicago:  NORC, University of Chicago, 1981.

Bock, R. Darrell and Moore, Elsie G.J.  Advantage and Disadvantage:  A Profile of American Youth.  Hillsdale, NJ:  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1986.

Claudy, John G. and Steel, Lauri.  “Armed Services Vocational Battery:  Validation for Civilian Occupations Using National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.”  AFHRL Technical Report 90-29, American Institute for Research, 1990.

Frankel, Martin R. and McWilliams, Harold A.  “The Profile of American Youth:  Technical Sampling Report.”  Chicago:  NORC, University of Chicago, 1981.

Kohen, Andrew I. and Breinich, Susan C. “Knowledge of the World of Work:  A Test of Occupational Information for Young Men.”  Journal of Vocational Behavior. 6: 133–144, 1975.

McWilliams, Harold A.  “The Profile of American Youth:  Field Report.”  Chicago:  NORC, University of Chicago, 1980.

McWilliams, Harold A. and Frankel, Martin R.  “The Profile of American Youth:  Non-Technical Sampling Report.”  Chicago:  NORC, University of Chicago, 1982.

National Center for Research in Vocational Education and Center for Human Resource Research.  NLSY High School Transcript Survey:  Overview and Documentation.  Columbus, OH:  CHRR, The Ohio State University.

Parnes, Herbert S. and Kohen, Andrew I. “Occupational Information and Labor Market Status:  The Case of Young Men.”  Journal of Human Resources. 10 (1): 44–55, 1975.

Parnes, Herbert S., Miljus, Robert C. and Spitz, Ruth S.  Career Thresholds:  A Longitudinal Study of the Educational and Labor Market Experience of Male Youth.  Vol. I.  U.S. Department of Labor Manpower Research Monograph No. 16.  Washington, DC:  U.S. Government Printing Office, 1970.

U.S. Department of Defense.  “Profile of American Youth: 1980 Nationwide Administration of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.”  Washington, DC:  Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Logistics), March 1982.

Wegner, T.G. and Ree, M.J.  “The 1980 Youth Population:  Correcting the Speeded Tests.”  TR-85-14, Air Force Human Resources Laboratory, July 1985.